B2 First writing and speaking

Many young people complain that there is nothing to do in their town except sit in cafés or stay at home. Should local councils spend more money on free outdoor activities for them? In my opinion, they should.

The first reason is health. Teenagers today spend hours in front of screens, and many of them hardly exercise at all. If there were free football pitches, climbing walls or fitness classes in local parks, more young people would get into the habit of being active, which would benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Some people argue that taxpayers should not have to pay for teenagers' hobbies, especially when money is short. However, outdoor facilities are relatively cheap to maintain, and healthier young people may cost the health service less in the long run.

Finally, these activities bring people together. Young people from different schools and backgrounds meet, make friends and feel part of their community.

To sum up, although the cost cannot be ignored, I believe free outdoor activities are an investment worth making.

The market I used to avoid

When my family moved to a new neighbourhood three years ago, the old covered market at the end of our street was the last place I wanted to go. It looked dark and dusty from the outside, and I was sure it was full of overpriced vegetables and nothing for someone my age.

Then one rainy Saturday my mum sent me there to buy bread, and everything changed. Inside, it was warm and noisy, with a man selling second-hand records next to a stall of spicy street food. The stallholders chatted to me as if they had known me for years, and an old woman insisted I try her homemade cheese.

What changed my mind was the atmosphere. Unlike a supermarket, where nobody talks to you, the market feels like a small village where everyone knows each other.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely, but go early, before the best food runs out. Who knows? You might end up loving it as much as I do.

Hi Jamie,

Congratulations on the job! You're going to love it here, especially in summer, when the whole town comes alive.

As for accommodation, I wouldn't bother with holiday flats, as they're really expensive at that time of year. Your best bet is a room in a shared flat. Lots of students go home for the holidays and rent out their rooms for the summer, so I'll send you a few links. You could also ask the hotel, because some of them offer cheap rooms to staff.

When it comes to meeting people, I'd suggest joining a language exchange. There's one every Thursday evening in a café near the beach, and it's full of locals who want to practise their English. It's a great way to make friends and pick up some Spanish at the same time. And of course, you can always hang out with me and my friends at weekends!

Let me know when you've booked your flight.

Lots of love,

Marta

Café Linterna: a quiet corner for serious studying

If you're looking for somewhere to study that isn't your bedroom or a crowded library, Café Linterna, just behind the bus station, is well worth a visit.

The first thing you notice is how calm it is. Unlike most cafés, there's no loud music, just soft piano in the background, and the large wooden tables give you plenty of space for books and a laptop. There are sockets under every table and the wifi is fast and free, which makes a huge difference when you're working on a long project.

It's ideal for university students and anyone preparing for exams who needs a few hours of concentration. The staff don't mind if you stay all afternoon with just one coffee, although the homemade cakes are hard to resist.

The only drawback is that it gets very busy at weekends, so finding a table after eleven can be difficult. Opening a little earlier would solve that problem.

Overall, I'd give it four stars out of five. Take your books and go on a weekday morning.

Examiner: Where are you from?

You: I'm from a small town near the coast, about an hour from the nearest big city. It's very quiet in winter, but in summer it's full of tourists.

Examiner: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

You: I'm really into photography at the moment. I usually go out on Sunday mornings, when the light is soft, and take pictures of the old buildings in the centre.

Examiner: How do you usually spend your summer holidays?

You: Normally I work part-time in my uncle's restaurant for a month, and then I go camping with friends. It's a nice balance between earning some money and relaxing.

Examiner: Do you prefer studying alone or with other people?

You: It depends on the subject. For history, where I have to memorise a lot, I need silence. But for maths I find it really helpful to work with a friend and explain things to each other.

Examiner: Is there anything you would like to learn in the future?

You: I'd love to learn to play the guitar properly. I've taught myself a few chords, but I'd like to take proper lessons.

Examiner: Now you are going to speak on your own for about a minute. Here are two situations in which people are sharing a meal. Compare them, and say what the people might enjoy about eating together in these ways.

You: Well, both situations show people eating together, but the atmosphere is completely different. In the first one, the friends are cooking for themselves in a tiny kitchen, so it's probably quite chaotic, but I imagine they're having a lot of fun. They might enjoy working as a team, and maybe even making mistakes together. It's also much cheaper than going out. In the second situation, the family is celebrating a birthday in a restaurant, which feels more formal. The main advantage is that nobody has to cook or wash up afterwards, so everyone can relax and focus on the celebration. On the other hand, it can be quite expensive, and perhaps a little less personal. I suppose the friends value the experience of cooking, whereas the family wants to make the day feel special.

Examiner: Thank you. (To your partner) Which of these would you prefer for a special occasion?

Partner: I think I'd choose the restaurant, because on a special day I don't want to spend hours in the kitchen. But for an ordinary weekend, cooking with friends sounds great.

You: Shall we start with the free concerts? I think they'd be really popular, because young people often don't have much money to spend on going out.

Partner: Absolutely. And they'd bring people into the centre in the evening, which would make it feel more lively. What about the library staying open until midnight?

You: Hmm, I'm not so sure about that one. It would be useful for students during exams, but I don't think most teenagers would choose to spend their evenings there.

Partner: That's a fair point. The skate park might attract more people, although some residents could complain about the noise in the main square.

You: True. Maybe it would be better somewhere slightly away from the houses. What do you think about the cycle lanes?

Partner: They'd make it safer to get into town, especially for younger teenagers who can't drive yet. And that links to the cheaper bus tickets as well.

You: Yes, I'd say transport is the key issue. If it's difficult or expensive to get to the centre, none of the other ideas will work.

Examiner: Now you have about a minute to decide which idea would make the biggest difference.

Partner: For me, it's the cheaper bus tickets, for the reason you just gave.

You: I agree. The concerts are attractive, but people need a cheap way to get there first. So shall we go for the bus tickets?

Partner: Yes, let's go for that.

Examiner: Do you think young people today have enough places to meet in their town?

You: Not really, at least not where I live. Apart from cafés and shopping centres, there's nowhere to go without spending money, and that's a problem for teenagers.

Examiner: (To your partner) Do you agree?

Partner: Partly. There are sports clubs, but you have to be quite good at a sport to join, so they're not for everyone.

Examiner: Should young people be asked for their opinion before a town makes changes?

You: Definitely. They're the ones who will live with the changes for longest. My town once built a youth centre without asking anyone, and it closed after a year because nobody went.

Partner: That's a good example. Maybe schools could organise surveys, so that it's easy for young people to take part.

Examiner: Some people say teenagers spend too much time online and not enough time outside. What do you think?

You: I think it's a bit unfair to blame teenagers. If there were more interesting things to do outside, I'm sure many of them would put their phones away. Having said that, I do spend too much time online myself.